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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (71,049 Views) | |
| Strompy | Mar 2 2015, 09:14 PM Post #406 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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As the sky darkened Brandon gave his jacket to Max, it wss a little bloody but it was better than nothing. The wind chill at this time of year would blow right through him. It seemed strange to Brandon that the others hadn't extended the basic courtesy of allowing him to ride inside the SUV, regardless of whether they trusted him or not he'd done right by Brandon and it was cold outside. "Hey, now that I think about it, I threw my bag in their earlier today, there are some more clothes in it. Get yourself a little warmer, huh? We only just got you. Don't want you freezing to death." he said after Glenda took over driving. He was exhausted in a way he could never have imagined before. Bone tired. Sleep came easily. As the car came to a stop he roused sluggishly. He looked over at Glenda and rubbed his eyes. "What's going on? My turn again?" he asked. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 2 2015, 09:31 PM Post #407 |
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Is that so?
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"Looks like Randall's group is taking a bathroom break." Glenda announced. "Any of you guys gotta go?" "Not really, but I appreciate the concern." Maxwell bowed his head. "From both of you, as a matter of fact. Even though you are forcing me ride in the back of the truck, I suppose it is far superior to the alternative of being back in the city." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 2 2015, 09:43 PM Post #408 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Eli wasn't surprised by Randall's understanding. Like he said, Mac was their friend and ally. He had fought with them back at the lodge and had been the first to volunteer for this mission. He was a good person, and his life had been snuffed so recklessly and pointlessly that Eli suspected there was no one in their crew that would judge him too harshly for taking vengeance. So he wasn't surprised, but he was disappointed. Somewhere in his head, he wanted Randall to give him the lashing he figured he deserved. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't feel better. Just different." He allowed himself to look away. The eye contact was getting to be too much. "And it was him, just so you know. When I learned the location of their hideout, I also learned the name of Mac's killer. Evan." Saying the name made him flashback to Evan's panicked face. He physically shook his head. "There's something else," he said. "At Mount Kisco, after you took me in, I told you an' Roland I found the cure on a dead soldier. That was a lie. The soldier wasn't dead. I killed him. It was legitimately self defense, he was wild-eyed and he woulda killed me, but I lied about it to make things go smoother. I just wanted to hand off the cure and get out. Now I just want all cards to be on the table." |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 2 2015, 10:04 PM Post #409 |
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Is that so?
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"During my first supply run for Mount Kisco, we ran into a group of people; they were robbing a young couple at gun point. Taking their food, their supplies, their entire livelihood really. I was stunned; I had never seen anything like that before so I was only able to watch as they gunned down the man and then, as the rotters were drawn in, the leader shot the woman in the leg and ran away while she was eaten alive." Randall exhaled slowly and shook his head. "A few days later, I ran into them again. Just seeing their faces... it pissed me off. It pissed me off real bad. I knew the all four of the surviving police force at this point and they were never going to catch these guys. So... I did the only thing I could do. I waited until they got close and, under my order, Colin and Aaron helped me gun them down. Neither of them touched a gun again after that. I never told anyone that I did, I doubted Roland or Elaine would approve of it. They didn't really know what it had devolved into out there. And at the end of the day... it still didn't make me feel better. So I wish I could lecture you on what you did... but I'm no better than you are. And better than anyone else, I know why you did it. Things aren't the same as they used to be." He paused. "And regardless of how you got it, I'm glad you brought the cure to us. You are a good man, regardless of the shit I said when we first met." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 2 2015, 10:14 PM Post #410 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Eli listened to Randall's story with understanding. His encouragement at the end was appreciated, but Eli still was having a hard time believing it of himself. "So are you," he said, and he believed that more. The two of them lived in that moment for a few long seconds before Eli spoke up again. He didn't feel vindicated, but he did feel understood -- and that was more than he probably even deserved right now. All that was left to do was move on. "An' listen, I know I'm in no position to talk about lying, and I'm not suggesting anything drastic," he started. "If I'm honest with myself, I should sympathize -- but something doesn't track about that Maxwell guy, okay? The very least, those people at the fort got no reason to lie about it amongst themselves. A group attacked them and not the other way around. You should talk to him." |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 2 2015, 10:19 PM Post #411 |
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Is that so?
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"Yeah, I intend to, don't worry." Randall assured him. "It could be a tough conversation though, so we'll just play it safe around him until we can get some rest. I don't think I have the mental fortitude right now to even tackle that guy. The way he speaks, it's like he knows he is smarter than you. Amusing on a good day, but right now I couldn't take it." |
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| Strompy | Mar 2 2015, 10:27 PM Post #412 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"You're welcome. I gotta answer the call, be back in a second." Brandon excused himself. He walked just far enough away to gain alittle privacy but remain visible. The events of earlier that day swirled around his head. It all could have gone so differently. Those people had foid, weapons and a safe place for their people. They also had a whole city of supplies at their fingertips. It wss a dangerous prospect but they had the numbers weapons and vehicles to pull it off. They didn't have to steal to get by, they did it because it was easy and they were weak. On the way over the bridge Brandon hadn't seen a single warning sign. If they had really let people go then those people would have left warnings for other travelers. That meant they were euther kilking them or going across the bridge and removing those warnings. It wasn't a matter of protecting territory, they wanted people coming over that bridge. The more he thought about it the moee he was outraged. What happened to those people they robbed? What kind of chances did they have after being sent back into the middle of Buffalo with no supplies? Either way it was murder. After the lesson they'd been taught today they probably wouldn't risk talking in the first place. They'd kill everyone like they killed Mac, and then take what they wanted from their bodies. How could this happen so soon? One month and those people had lost all moral grounding. With a start Brandon realised he'd been standing there with his dick in his hand for about thirty seconds. He finished his business and came back. "This cure needs to be real, or this is really the end of the world." he asked staring off into the middke distance. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 2 2015, 10:43 PM Post #413 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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"I understand," Eli said. He patted Randall on the shoulder, then started to pivot away. He stopped mid-pivot, however, then turned back to Randall. He looked serious. "One more thing," he said. "I wanted to leave before I got attached. I'm attached. I'm with you as long as you'll have me." He looked around. He could barely see ten feet in front of his face -- this was no place to camp. After they put some gas in the SUV, they'd have to get going again. "I'll take over driving for a while," he offered, as he started to walk back towards the car. "I'm not getting any sleep anyway." |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 2 2015, 11:00 PM Post #414 |
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Is that so?
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To hear Eli say that, Randall was comforted. He knew that Eli was only going to be here for a while, but he already did feel like part of the crew and Randall trusted him as his right hand along with Glenda. To lose Eli really would be a loss to the team as a whole. "I would appreciate that." Randall nodded, falling in line beside him back to the SUV. "And I think i can speak for everyone when I say we'd be glad to have you around. Your quick thinking really bailed us out today." |
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| Strompy | Mar 3 2015, 03:19 AM Post #415 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Her breath was hot on his ear as their bodies pressed against one another. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest, a match for his. Her fingers dug into his hair and clung on, keeping him close, their hair a mess if pink and yellow. Right there on the carpet they took each other. "This just feels weird is all. Like having sex in a tomb." she commented conversationally. He pulled away from her and gave her a confused look. He looked to his right to see his parents sitting against their bed, the holes in their heads a nest of maggots. Brandon awoke so violently he punched the dash in his panic. The dash faired better from the conflict. Sore knuckles and a jarred wrist were not a great way to wake up. The fog in his head peeled back and he realized that they'd come to a stop. He groaned in complaint at the nasty trick his own mind played on him. That had been a really really good dream for a moment there. Glenda didn't mention his strange outburst. He probably wasn't the only one with dark dreams lately. Would any of them sleep peacefully ever again after all this? His face turned red as he recalled the nice part of his dream. Had he been making telling noises in his sleep or something? He cleared his throat as he looked around pointlessly in the dark. "Where are we?" he asked. "Sign back there said Lorraine Road. Looks like... number six-oh-five. If it's clear we'll be parking out back and staying here." Glenda explained. "Well, they're not going to find us in this dark and they know it. Somehow don't think they're going to stray too far from their camp looking for payback either. Hope they learned to stay away from us." he mused as he got out the truck and stretched as much as he was comfortable doing with his wound. The others were doing the same. He inhaled and held his breath as he looked Willow up and down a little less than subtly. He exhaled as he turned and walked toward the house, deciding that he would have to find a much needed moment for himself as soon as possible. ... "That was boring. You know what sucks the most about losing the other car? You know aside from concussions and broken bones and nearly dying, and losing the cure leading to a crazy break and enter. I had some kickass music in my bag. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bowie, Blue Oyster Cult, even Red Hot Chili Peppers which is actually great driving music if you give them a chance." Julie lamented as she casually drew her pistol. The house seeemed nice enough. Unassuming wood and brick affair. There were two other buildings around the side which were probably a garage and shed for equipment for the tractor parked nearby. It looked like a nice enough place and out of the way too. Whoever lived here may have been able to get by just fine with a property this size. With the panic of the outbreak though she imagined a lot of people would have left almost perfect safehouses to go north and get as far away from the States and it's new epidemic as possible. Still, there was a chance someone might be home, it was a good idea to knock first. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 3 2015, 04:23 AM Post #416 |
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Is that so?
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Randall knelt down, meticulously combing his fingers through Kelsey's hair, straightening her clothes out, and adjusting her backpack. There was only one first day of school and his daughter was going to be absolutely ready for it. "Remember, if anybody tries to give you a hard time, don't be afraid to stand up for yourself! Punch them in the face if you have to!" "Really, dad? Did you just tell Kels to punch people in the face for the first day of class?" He glanced over his shoulder; his teenage boy, Nolan, was ready for school and halfway through eating a granola bar. "Only if she has to. I told you the same thing too, if you remember." "I don't, actually." He ate the last of the granola bar and slid past the two of them to the front door. "I'll see you this afternoon, dad." "Honey, are you ready to go!" Randall called out. The high school was nearby, so Nolan was able to walk every morning; but Kelsey had to be driven to the elementary school. Then again, even if the elementary school was nearby, he wouldn't have just let her walk there alone. She was five! "Of course." Elaine stepped out of the bedroom, already dressed but running a comb through her disheveled hair. "I need to see my little girl off on her first big day of school!" "It's not that big of a deal!" Kelsey protested with a toothy smile. "I'm excited! I want to make new friends! I'll be back soon, daddy!" "Daddy?" "Daddy?" Randall groaned and shifted uncomfortably. He groggily planted his hands against the dashboard and peeled his face off of it. He must have been exhausted; his entire body felt stiff from sleeping in that awkward position, even if it had only been for an hour or two. But that dream... no, that wasn't a dream. It was another memory. Of his family. During better times. The recollection of Elaine and Nolan stabbed at his heart. Try as he might to put Elaine behind him, she was still on his mind. Every day. During the day, he could suppress it, but during the night, every time he closed his eyes it was Elaine that he saw. The face of the woman he fell in love with haunting him, teasing him. Every time he woke up, his heart broke all over again. It felt like he hadn't held her in weeks, but it had only been three or four days. "Daddy. We found a place to stay for the night." Kelsey poked his arm. "We should go check it out. Make sure it's safe." "Yeah..." Randall unsuccessfully tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "We should." Outside the SUV, everyone was stretching and taking a look at the house. Nearby, he could hear Willow talking to Julie about music apparently; "Is it bad that I've almost forgotten what music sounded like?" She inquired dryly. "Maybe we should see if we can find some CDs in this place. I'd kill for some good road music, you know?" It seemed she was at least in better spirits than she had been a few hours ago. Even her old speech pattern was coming back to her. He was thankful for that though; it meant she was winding down. At least as much as anyone could given everything they had gone through. Glenda was the first to approach Randall and Kelsey as they stepped from their newly acquired SUV. "So, what did I miss?" He asked. "Nothing, really. Driving in the dark and all that. We're far enough away that they wouldn't risk chasing us in the middle of the night, so we can set up camp here if it ends up being clear." Glenda explained. "And I hope to God it is." "So do I. I'm tired of fighting today." Randall sighed. "And I am just tired." Kelsey yawned. "But you've been sleeping all evening." Glenda smiled and patted the girl on the head. "It's been a long day." "You are way too young to be saying that." Randall interrupted. "Pardon the intrusion..." Maxwell interrupted the reunion, still wearing Brandon's jacket. "I know you had me ride in the bed of the truck, and I am completely understanding of your level of caution. And I don't expect you to let me sleep in the house with you tonight, but at the very least, may I sleep in the truck or the SUV or something? I could say the cold never bothered me anyway... but, quite frankly, that would be a lie." "Glenda. Can you take Kelsey and go look around a bit? I want to have a private word with Maxwell." Glenda shot a suspicious glance at the man before grabbing Kelsey and taking off towards the house. At the same time, Randall took Maxwell farther away from the vehicles, out of earshot of everyone else. "I got a few questions for you. First; while we were in Old Fort Erie, we overheard some guys talking about a group that opened fire on them just earlier that day." Randall explained calmly. "That wouldn't happen to have been your group, was it?" He did not immediately answer, diverting his gaze towards the nearby woods briefly. He let out a drawn out sigh before finally answering. "Yes. Yes it was my group that they encountered. We had managed to live like rats in the walls of the machine they had set up. We knew that encampment existed, and we knew they were far from personable individuals. We had no personal grudges or vendettas against them, but we didn't want to stir up the hive either, so to speak. But inevitably, we did. And when they demanded out supplies, Rick decided to try to fire the first shot. I guess his reasoning was that he who strikes first wins. Unfortunately, Rick was a terrible shot, and the retaliation came in full strength. I merely omitted that part because the people I traveled with were not the same barbarians that you attacked earlier; but I did not want you to get the idea that we were just another band of bandits!" He raised his arms defensively. "It was simply a... a strategic withholding of information!" "For losing all your friends earlier today, you certainly didn't seem so broken up." Randall cocked his head to the side. "I was in Buffalo when this went down! I saw countless people, friends, family, students, die in the beginning days of this... infernal existence! Some of my students, who were the first classes I was teaching at the university, were cut down by panicked cops as they ran for help! I have only lived through a month, but I am already bothered by my removal from all of this. Their deaths today... they hardly even bothered me; I was more perturbed by my perceived lack of empathy. I feel like I am already dead inside, if that makes any sense at all. And that is why I made the implications that this had all happened far earlier. After all, I am a man that needs as much help as he can get and painting myself, intentionally or unintentionally, to look like a sociopath from a group of trigger happy bandits was definitely not the best first impression I could give!" Randall rubbed his forehead. The worst part was that it did make sense to him. "Fine, you check out. You can sleep inside with us tonight." "I am very glad you are willing to extend the olive branch to me after everything that happened. I will not make you regret this decision, I promise!" "Yeah, yeah... please don't." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 3 2015, 04:50 AM Post #417 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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For the past day, Jeff Pattinson felt like he had been asleep. Ever since that bullet thudded into one side of Mac’s head and spit blood out the other, the world around him had seemed hazy and his body felt like it was on auto-pilot. The car crash had just made it worse. The world spun then, and it hadn’t stopped. Now, Jeff felt like he was waking up. It was dark now, but soon the sun would rise on a new day -- maybe in more ways than one. He had seen death since it all started – or he thought he had. He had actually seen the aftermath of death, the dead bodies and the dead bodies that walked. He had run and hid from all of it successfully, until finding refuge at the lodge. Then he had seen illness, but that was nothing new. People had always gotten sick. His own mother slowly wasted away from leukemia. But the kind of death this new world offered – that had been foreign to him too long. Randall, Glenda, Aaron and Colin protected him from that. They knew what it was really like. For him and everyone else at the club, the outbreak might as well have just been a particularly bad hurricane. Sure, they lost their homes and possessions, and even some loved ones, but they were all just counting the days until the federal government wiould sweep in with their disaster relief. None of them got it, not really. Well, Jeff got it now. He was caught up. Almost dying in the rec center got him part way there, then seeing Mac get his head blown off finished his journey. And Mac – Jesus Christ, Jeff thought. He was actually glad that the big lug caught him stealing those supplies and got him locked up way back when. Even the beat down was worth it. If Jeff had gotten away with the theft, he would almost certainly be dead right now. No way would he have survived out on his own. Randall was right about what he said to him back at the rec center, after he went off half-cocked and needed rescuing. 'Do you know why I put up you with Brandon and Eli? Because they are strong and capable. You are not.' Jeff had thought about those words a lot the rest of that day, but they had faded away during the night. They were back now. He always knew Randall was right, but he didn't know how right he was. And now that he knew, he could finally start proving him wrong. He was done being a liability, he decided. Those assholes in Fort Erie could have killed them all, and he would have done nothing to stop it. That couldn't happen again. The next asshole that came at them -- alive or dead -- would have one more stubborn survivor to deal with. Jeff stumbled his way towards the house, tired as hell but also rejuvenated somehow. He saw Randall and the new guy -- the blabbermouth, whatever his name was, Jeff forgot -- coming back from sort of tęte-ŕ-tęte. Brandon and Glenda were closest to the door. Eli, Willow and Julie were right behind. They were in the middle of some discussion of music Jeff had missed the first part of while he was busy having his epiphany. "Eh, what do you mean 'even' the Red Hot Chilli Peppers? I love the Red Hot Chilli Peppers," Eli contributed in his Puerto Rican accent. He sounded tired, but like he was making an effort all the same. "Are the Red Hot Chilli Peppers not cool? Did I get old and no one told me?" |
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| Strompy | Mar 3 2015, 07:41 AM Post #418 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Pretty much." Julie said with a look of mock sympathy. "I like old things though." she continued playfully. Brandon walked up to the door. He motioned for the others to stand back while he moved ti the side of the door. The door was locked, and it was too dark to see anything inside through the windows. He knocked several times and waited for a response. "Hello. We're just looking for a place to stay, if somebody's alive in there we're coming in now." he declared clearly without being too loud. There was no response, from either survivor or biter. Shattering glass always made his hair stand on end, something about the pitch. He took his pistol by the barrel and smashed a glass panel on the door. Taking a moment the knock away any hazardous shards he reached in with his free hand to unlock the door, flipping his pistol back around in the otther. He gave a nod to Eli who had the light. "Same as before. We check every inch of the place before it's safe." he said with a weary yawn that belied how seriously he took the process. The main house checked out. That would be good enough so long as they had a guard or two up at all times. The others kept talking a little about music for a little while, but the prospect of sleep was infinitely more appealing. Brandon volunteered for first watch as he'd grabbed some shuteye on the way. "I think two of us should be up, keep each other awake." he suggested. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 3 2015, 12:06 PM Post #419 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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After the banter, Eli offered a small smile to Julie back, which kind of surprised Jeff. He didn't think that Eli liked her. Apparently she took a shot at Brandon when they found her the day before, and Eli called her a bitch or something. Jeff was downstairs at the time, he heard the gunshot but he had to get the story relayed to him later. Looked like the ice had thawed, anyway. Probably because of all they'd been through together in the time since. Plus, there was an even newer addition for Eli to be cold too -- Maxwell, that was his name. Once the house was clear and Brandon suggested taking watch, Jeff spoke up. He wanted to talk to Brandon anyway. He had shit to say. A favor to ask. "I'm on it," Jeff said. "I got a few more hours in me." He probably wasn't who Brandon was hoping for, Jeff realized -- he had seen some of the looks the pretty boy had given Willow. They had grown gradually less subtle in the three days Jeff had known him. Not that he blamed or judged him. Female companionship was a rare commodity these days, while the need for it hadn't dissipated. Willow had gotten a lot of the same looks back at the lodge. Mac had given her those looks, even, though looking back, Jeff would describe his as more affectionate, more lovesick or something. Willow actually seemed kind of oblivious to it all. Too caught up in her Gameboy and her weed. Jeff wasn't as taken with her as the rest. Sure, she was nice looking, and the pink hair was certainly attention grabbing, even as it grew out and revealed more of the blonde roots. Not Jeff's thing, though. He was always into older women, though he was not sure what that said about him or his childhood issues. Glenda, though -- Christ, he'd give up cigarettes forever for an hour with her. "Jeff, that you?" Eli asked, and Jeff took it as a joke, if a stale one. One step away from 'Who are you and what have you done with Jeff?' but at least it was one step away. "Yeah," Jeff answered. "I'm here." He was repeating words he had a vague memory of saying back at the hospital, when it looked like things might jump off again. This time, though, he sounded a lot more convincing. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 3 2015, 01:04 PM Post #420 |
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Is that so?
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Too slow. Willow realized as Jeff volunteered for first watch with Brandon. The nice thing about first watch was that she could get that job out of the way and then sleep through the rest of the night uninterrupted. Guess it hardly mattered though, she already knew she wouldn't be sleeping that well anyway, despite the exhaustion in her eyes. "Well, wake me up when it's my turn for watch." Randall yawned. "I need some rest. C'mon Kels." The young girl jumped on his heels and disappeared into the recesses of the house. Willow couldn't help but think it sounded like the best idea right now, but instead she simply plopped down on the first couch she could find and enjoyed the feeling of sitting down on it. Even though they had cleared the house, she wasn't sure she felt safe yet. |
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